Head supporting device

ABSTRACT

A head supporting device for a bathing unit, the head supporting device including a main body to receive a head thereon, and a surface fastener disposed on at least a portion of the main body to removably connect the main body to at least one surface of a bathing unit.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present general inventive concept relates generally to bathing, and particularly, to a head supporting device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Some people with balance and/or mobility issues have a difficult time cleansing themselves while standing upright in a shower. Moreover, each surface within the shower tends to become slippery while wet, which can exacerbate the difficulty to maintain balance while trying to wash hard-to-reach areas of the body.

Some showers for people with a handicap have railings installed. However, the railings still rely on a person's ability to use a hand and/or an arm to maintain balance, which is not possible for the person also using the hands to wash the body. Thus, the limitation of use of the hands increases the likelihood of falling and/or slipping resulting in possible injury.

Therefore, there is a need for a head supporting device that allows a head of the user to rest therein while washing and freeing access to the hands and legs.

SUMMARY

The present general inventive concept provides a head supporting device.

Additional features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.

The foregoing and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing a head supporting device for a bathing unit, the head supporting device including a main body to receive a head thereon, and a surface fastener disposed on at least a portion of the main body to removably connect the main body to at least one surface of a bathing unit.

The main body may include a head receiving surface to absorb an impact thereon, and a head supporting frame disposed on at least a portion of a rear surface of the head receiving surface to provide firm support to the head receiving surface.

The head receiving surface may be adjustable in size.

The head receiving surface may remain in a certain shape in absence of an application of force after the application of force changed a shape of the head receiving surface.

The head supporting frame may be more rigid than the head receiving surface.

At least one of a first end and a second end of the head supporting frame may move toward a center of a front surface of the head supporting frame in a first lateral direction, and moves toward a center of a rear surface of the head supporting frame in a second lateral direction opposite with respect to the first lateral direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other features and utilities of the present generally inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a head supporting device, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various example embodiments (a.k.a., exemplary embodiments) will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which some example embodiments are illustrated. In the FIGURES, the thicknesses of lines, layers and/or regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

Accordingly, while example embodiments are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the figures and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit example embodiments to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, example embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure. Like numbers refer to like/similar elements throughout the detailed description.

It is understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.).

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art. However, should the present disclosure give a specific meaning to a term deviating from a meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill, this meaning is to be taken into account in the specific context this definition is given herein.

LIST OF COMPONENTS

-   -   Head Supporting Device 100     -   Main Body 110     -   Head Receiving Surface 111     -   Head Supporting Frame 112

Surface Fastener 120

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a head supporting device 100, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

The head supporting device 100 may be constructed from at least one of metal, plastic, wood, and rubber, etc., but is not limited thereto. Also, the head supporting device 100 may be waterproof and/or resistant to damage from a change in a temperature level (e.g., hot such as over ninety degrees Fahrenheit, cold such as less than ninety degrees Fahrenheit).

The head supporting device 100 may include a main body 110 and a surface fastener 120, but is not limited thereto.

The main body 110 may include a head receiving surface 111 and a head supporting frame 112, but is not limited thereto.

The head receiving surface 111 may include an air cushion, a pillow, a sponge, a rubber cushion, a shape memory alloy, memory foam, and a gel cushion, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the head receiving surface 111 is illustrated to have a curved shape and/or a concave shape. However, the head receiving surface 111 may be rectangular, circular, cylindrical, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, or any other shape known to one of ordinary skill in the art, but is not limited thereto.

The head receiving surface 111 may receive a head of a user thereon. Moreover, the head receiving surface 111 may support the head of the user, such that the user may relax thereon. Also, the head receiving surface 111 may absorb an impact thereon, such that falling against the head receiving surface 111 may prevent injury and/or soften a blow from the impact. As such, the head receiving surface 111 may facilitate bathing and/or washing in a bathing unit 10 (e.g., a shower, a bathtub), such that the user may freely move hands and/or legs.

Furthermore, the head receiving surface 111 may be adjustable in size. For example, the head receiving surface 111 may include a button pump to inflate the head receiving surface 111 with air in response to depressing the button pump. Also, the head receiving surface 111 may have a plug disposed thereon to release the air in response to removing the plug.

Also, the head receiving surface 111 may remain a certain shape after the head of the user (i.e., in absence of an external force) has been removed using the shape memory alloy and/or the memory foam (i.e., after the application of force changed a shape of the head receiving surface 111).

The head supporting frame 112 may be disposed on at least a portion of a rear surface of the head receiving surface 111. The head supporting frame 112 may be more rigid with respect to the head receiving surface 111. In other words, the head supporting frame 112 may be a harder material than the head receiving surface 111 to provide firm support to the head receiving surface 111 and/or the head of the user during use.

The head supporting frame 112 may be separated into three sections, such that the head supporting frame 112 may move (i.e., bend and/or fold) based on a preference of the user. Also, each section of the head supporting frame 112 may move in a first lateral direction or a second lateral direction opposite with respect to the first lateral direction. As such, a first end and/or a second end of the head supporting frame 112 may move toward a center of a front surface of the head supporting frame in the first lateral direction. Alternatively, the first end and/or the second end of the head supporting frame 112 may move toward a center of a rear surface of the head supporting frame 112 in the second lateral direction.

Alternatively, the head supporting frame 112 may at least partially deform (e.g., bend, stretch, expand) in response to an application of force (e.g., pushing, pulling) thereto.

It is important to note that the head receiving surface 111 may move similarly to and in response to movement of the head supporting frame 112.

Referring again to FIG. 1 , the surface fastener 120 is illustrated to be a suction cup. However, the surface fastener 120 may include a cord, a string, a rope, a clamp, a clasp, an adhesive (e.g., tape, glue), a magnet, and/or any combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

The surface fastener 120 may be disposed on at least a portion of the rear surface of the head supporting frame 112. The surface fastener 120 may removably connect the head receiving surface 111 and/or the head supporting frame 112 to at least a portion of at least one surface (e.g., a wall, a floor) of the bathing unit 10. As such, the surface fastener 120 may allow a position of the head receiving surface 111 and/or the head supporting frame 112 to be adjusted with respect to the at least one surface of the bathing unit 10 (e.g., higher, lower).

Therefore, the head supporting device 100 may prevent the user from slipping within the bathing unit 10 due to supporting the head of the user during bathing. Also, the head supporting device 100 may facilitate bathing by people with balance and/or mobility issues by allowing them to remain upright while supporting the head of the user.

The present general inventive concept may include a head supporting device 100 for a bathing unit 10, the head supporting device 100 including a main body 110 to receive a head thereon, and a surface fastener 120 disposed on at least a portion of the main body 110 to removably connect the main body 110 to at least one surface of a bathing unit 10.

The main body 110 may include a head receiving surface 111 to absorb an impact thereon, and a head supporting frame 112 disposed on at least a portion of a rear surface of the head receiving surface 111 to provide firm support to the head receiving surface 111.

The head receiving surface 111 may be adjustable in size.

The head receiving surface 111 may remain in a certain shape in absence of an application of force after the application of force changed a shape of the head receiving surface 111.

The head supporting frame 112 may be more rigid than the head receiving surface 111.

At least one of a first end and a second end of the head supporting frame 112 may move toward a center of a front surface of the head supporting frame 112 in a first lateral direction, and moves toward a center of a rear surface of the head supporting frame 112 in a second lateral direction opposite with respect to the first lateral direction.

Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A head supporting device for a bathing unit, the head supporting device comprising: a main body to receive a head thereon, such that the main body curves away from the bathing unit in a concave manner; and a surface fastener disposed on at least a portion of the main body to removably connect the main body to at least one surface of the bathing unit, wherein the surface fastener is a suction cup that allows the main body to be attached directly to the at least one surface of the bathing unit.
 2. The head supporting device of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises: a head receiving surface to absorb an impact thereon; and a head supporting frame disposed on at least a portion of a rear surface of the head receiving surface to provide firm support to the head receiving surface.
 3. The head supporting device of claim 2, wherein the head receiving surface is adjustable in size.
 4. The head supporting device of claim 2, wherein the head receiving surface remains in a certain shape in absence of an application of force after the application of force changed a shape of the head receiving surface.
 5. The head supporting device of claim 2, wherein the head supporting frame is more rigid than the head receiving surface.
 6. The head supporting device of claim 2, wherein at least one of a first end and a second end of the head supporting frame moves toward a center of a front surface of the head supporting frame in a first lateral direction, and moves toward a center of a rear surface of the head supporting frame in a second lateral direction opposite with respect to the first lateral direction.
 7. (canceled) 